Directory

June 2025

Tim Eisele is a freelance outdoor writer and photographer who worked for the Department of Natural Resources from 1971 to 1978.

At DNR he worked in the Information and Education Bureau, within the Press Section, in Madison from 1971 to 1976. Following the arrival of a new DNR secretary the I&E bureau was “decentralized,” and Tim then worked as the District Information officer in Eau Claire for the West Central District for two years, before leaving DNR to return to Madison where he then worked in publications for a credit union insurance company until beginning freelancing full-time in 1995.

“I have the highest respect for DNR employees and worked with many wonderful people in Madison and Eau Claire, and was privileged to work at DNR during some of its ‘golden years.’ I’ve also had the wonderful opportunity during my years involved with natural resources to meet so many good and inspirational people in the conservation field.”

Tim has freelanced outdoor articles most recently for Wisconsin Outdoor News, covering the DNR and Natural Resources Board, but also for The Capital Times, Wisconsin State Journal, and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He also chaired the Publications Committee and edited Woodland Management magazine for 12 years providing information on forestry and wildlife for private woodland owners in the state. He also produced a newsletter, The Drumming Log, for Ruffed Grouse Society members throughout the U.S.

He has a B.B.A. degree from UW-Wisconsin, and M.S. degree in Agricultural Journalism. He was a founding board member and three-time president of the Wisconsin Outdoor Communicators Association, served on the U.W.-Madison Friends of the Arboretum board, Wisconsin Wetlands Association board, the Natural Resources Foundation board, and for 22 years served on the Board of Governors of the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame.

He and his wife Linda own acreage in Crawford County which they are trying to manage to increase biodiversity and benefit wildlife. They were selected as Wisconsin Wild Turkey Woodland Owners in 2005 by the Wisconsin chapter of the NWTF, and received the Crawford County Forestry Award in 2011.

Tim and Linda combined to help produce a booklet by Art Oehmcke, The Woodruff Hatchery Story, which tells about his friend Art’s work raising muskies for the State of Wisconsin.

In 2022 he gave a presentation when ARC asked how he became involved in outdoor writing and that is available on the ARC website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bolMkd6WMaw

In 1994 he was asked to help judge the Federal Duck Stamp competition, and he has a presentation titled “Ding’s Darling,” that can be found at: https://youtu.be/WJKfNfxRcv4

Tim and Linda’s son is the executive director of Discovery Southeast, a non-profit environmental education organization in Juneau, Alaska, and when most people go south for the winter Tim and Linda go north to cross country ski in Alaska!